Magnetically controlled advertising, educational, or amusement device



June 28, 1938. 3l EI SPlCER MAGNETICALLY CONTRODLED ADVERTISING, EDUCATIONAL, 0R AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Jan. 8, 1956 2 Sheets-.Sheet l IIN I @www IIIIIQI, I

1 IM I|I\. I II. I

G. E. SPICER `fune 28, 1938.

MAGNETICALLY CONTROLLED ADVERTISING, EDUCATIONAL, OR AMUSEMENT DEVICE'- Filed Jan. 8, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 28, 1938 PATIENT ori-ICE MAGNETICALLY CONTROLLEDI ADVERTIS- ING, EDUCATIONAL, OR AMUSEMENT DE- VICE Gerald Evan Spicer, St. Albans, England Application January 8, 1936, Serial No. 58,171 In Great Britain January 10, 1935 6 Claims.

This invention relates to devices which may be used for advertising, amusement or educational purposes, and which have one or a number of bodies movable over a surface or floating upon or :immersed in a liquid, the bodies having a part susceptible to magnetic influence and being adapted to be manoeuvred by means of a magnet, preferably arrange-d out of sight below the objects.

:' According to the present invention, in a device of the kind referred to, the manoeuvrable object incorporates a permanent magnet. The disposition of the magnet is preferably such that the pole at the forward end of the manceuvrable body zis of polarity opposite to that of the manoeuvring magnet by which the object is directed, and it will be appreciated that attraction will take place between the pole of the manoeuvring magnet and that at the forward end of the manoeuvrable 20, object. The invention has a particular applica tion to advertising devices and toys in which a manoeuvrable object comprises a body floating upon or immersed in liquid, and it is therefore with reference to this particular application that the following description deals. If the manoeuvring magnet be disposed as in the preferred form of the invention below the tank or the like containing the liquid, the forward end of the floating object will tend to take up a posigation so as to be vertically disposed over the manoeuvring magnet, whereafter movement of the latter will cause the floating object to be forwardly and realistically directed. Conveniently, the magnet incorporated in the float ing object serves also as a keel. Provision. is made in the proposed form of the invention for positively supporting and directing the manoeuvring magnet, and further by use of an electromagnet for manoeuvring, the strength may be conveniently increased for the purpose of submerging a normally floating object.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, one form will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in

Which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation of the device taken along the line II--II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a View of a model boat for use with the device shown in the previous figures; and

Figure 4 shows in diagrammatic form a proposed electrical circuit for operating an electromanoeuvring magnet.

In the form of the invention illustrated, the

device comprises a shallow open-topped tank I containing water 2. In order to produce a realistic effect, the tank also contains representations of land, as at 3, in the form of coast-lines. Model boats, such as that illustrated in Figure 3, 5 g are adapted to float on the surface of the water. It is also proposed to provide a submarine, such asvthat shown at 5, which normally floats on the surface but which is adapted to be sunk in ,a manner as hereafter described. 10

Each floating object incorporates a permanent magnet 6, as shown in Figure 3, extending substantially parallel with the longitudinal centreline of the object and may conveniently form the keel of the boat topreserve its balance. For the 15,l purposes of this description, it is presumed that the north-seeking pole is situated towards the prow of the model. Below the surface of the tank I is disposed an electro-magnet comprising a core 'I of soft iron or the like and a surrounding 20 coil 8 through which a current is passed.

The magnet is carried in a carriage 9 so that the uppermost pole thereof is of opposite polarity to that at the prow of the boat to be manoeuvred, i. e. the south-seeking pole. Inasmuch as unlike 25 magnetic vpoles attract, it will be understood that the boat is attracted by the north-seeking pole of the electro-magnet when current is passed, and by suitably moving the magnet the boat may be manoeuvred. v n y i In the preferred form. of thev invention illustrated, the carriage 9 is supported on rods It and II disposedv at right-angles to each other, each being parallel to the appropriate pair of sides of the tank and passing through holes suitably pro- 35 vided for the purpose in the carriage 9. The rods Il) and II are attached at their extremities to pairs of endless chains I2 and I3 which are of any desired construction. The pair of chains I2 pass round pairs of sprockets I4 and I5 at the 40 sides of the tank, and sprockets III are mounted on a common shaft I6 operated by means of a handle I'I. It will be appreciated that rotation of the handle I1 will move the carriage 9 laterally along the rod I0. In a similar manner the chains I3 pass round pairs of sprockets I8 and are mounted on the common shaft 20 rotatable by means of the handle ZI. Rotation of the handle 2l thus moves the carriage along the rod 50 II. Simultaneous rotation of the handles I'I and 2l produces angular or diagonal movements of the carriage. In order to indicate the position of the carriage 9, the rods II] and II are provided at one extremity with pointers 22 and 23 55 extending from the interior of the device through slits in the sides of the casing.

In Figure 4 a diagrammatic electrical circuit is shown for operating the electro-magnet. Three cells 24 are connected in series and to one plate of one cell an end of the coil 3 is connected. The other end of the coil is connected to a switch 25 whereby one, two or three cells may be put in circuit, thereby increasing the strength of the magnet. Normally floating objects such as the submarine 5 can thus be submerged, and thereafter manoeuvred below the surface of the liquid contained in the tank.

Although the invention has been described as incorporating an electro-magnet, it could of course be used with a permanent magnet, but it will be appreciated that use of an electro-magnet offers the advantage that one boat may be left to manoeuvre another by switching off the current, while there is. also the additional advantage of being able to submerge normally iloating objects by increasing the current.

It will also be appreciated that the construction of the device may be varied within wide limits; for example the representation of land may be cut out of wood or other suitable material and placed in the tank, or it may be formed as apressing integrally with the bottom of the tank.

It is contemplated that a device such as that above described is particularly applicable for advertising, amusement and educational purposes.

It is further contemplated that floating bodies other than boats may be used; thus, the device may be used to represent an aquarium with creatures therein.

Where the device is intended for use in manoeuvring objects supported upon a surface, such for example as motor cars and other toys running upon roads, etcetera, it is of course not necessary to have the liquid.

What I claim is:-

l. A magnetic-controlled amusement device comprising a substantially plane supporting element, a body supported thereby, a permanent bar magnet carried by the body parallel to the general plane of the supporting element, a movable manoeuvring magnet, and means for shifting the manoeuvring magnet in any desired direction in a plane parallel to the general plane of the supporting surface and moving said body and permanent magnet under the influence of said manoeuvring magnet, the pole at the forward end of said permanent magnet being of opposite polarity to the effective polarity of the manoeuvring magnet.

2. A device of the class described including a tank having liquid therein, a body adapted to be positioned in the tank immersed in the liquid, a permanent bar magnet carried parallel to the surface of the liquid, a manoeuvring magnet having an effective pole of opposite polarity to the pole at the forward end of the permanent magnet, and means carried by the tank and connected with the manoeuvring magnet eifecting movement in a horizontal plane in any desired direction of said manoeuvring magnet whereby the body and permanent magnet will be moved under the influence of said manoeuvring magnet.

3. A device of the class described including a liquid containing tank, a body immersed in liquid carried in the tank, a permanent bar magnet carried by the body substantially parallel to the surface of the liquid, a manoeuvring magnet, and means carried by the tank effecting movement of the manoeuvring magnet in any desired direction in a horizontal plane, said manoeuvring magnet being of bar form and of such a length and arrangement that the effect of one of its poles is negligible compared to that of the effective second pole on said permanent magnet in the body whereby attraction between the effective pole and the manoeuvring magnet and the pole at the forward end of the body with consequent movement of the body under the influence of said manoeuvring magnet takes place.

4. A device of the class described including a tank having liquid therein, a body adapted to float upon the liquid contained in the tank, a permanent magnet carried by the body substantially parallel to the surface of the liquid, a manoeuvring magnet, a carriage supporting the manoeuvring magnet and having rods disposed at right angles to each other, said rools` being adapted to be moved for shifting the manoeuvring magnet in any desired direction in a horizontal plane, said permanent magnet having a pole at its forward end of opposite polarity to the effective pole of said manoeuvring magnet and said body being adapted to be moved under the influence of said manoeuvring magnet.

5. A device of the class described including a tank having liquid therein, a body in the tank immersed in the liquid and having a permanent bar magnet disposed substantially parallel to the surface of the liquid, a manoeuvring magnet, a carriage supporting the manoeuvring magnet and having rods disposed at right angles to each other, and an endless chain connected with each of the rods at their opposite corresponding ends, said endless chain passing over sprocket wheels, certain chains being adapted to be rotated to cause the rod to be traversed, said permanent magnet having a pole of opposite polarity to the eifective pole of the manoeuvring magnet whereby shifting of the manoeuvring magnet will cause shifting of the body and permanent magnet under the inuence of said manoeuvring magnet.

6. A device of the class described including a tank, a body therein adapted to float on or be immersed in liquid carried in the tank, a permanent bar magnet carried by the body, said magnet being disposed substantially parallel to the surface of the liquid, a manoeuvring magnet having an effective pole of opposite polarity to the pole at the forward end of the body, mechanical means for supporting a manoeuvring electromagnet and permitting shifting thereof in any desired direction in a horizontal plane whereby shifting of said manoeuvring magnet will cause shifting of the body under the inuence of said manoeuvring magnet, and means for increasing the effectiveness of the manoeuvring electromagnet for causing the body to increase or lessen its depth within the liquid in the tank.

GERALD EVAN SPICER. 

